I chose Chase because I am a person of action as well as a writer, and thought the best user name was an action verb. Chase just about says it all - chased by demons of my past, chasing a better future - my whole life has been about the chase.

Eric is a part of my actual nickname which in turn intones "Viking". When people call me Eric (var. Eirik), they are pretty close to calling me what my non-virtual friends do. Although usually called by my main nick, if someone shouted Eric right now, I would turn my head.

Truth is as important to me as the safety of anonymity. Finding a way to do both actually caused me to fret a bit. That's why my signature used to say "under pseudonym" - I can at least be honest about not being totally "honest".

Interstingly enough, when I joined MS I almost said the hell with it and used my real name. But the site guidelines strongly discouraged that, and so I figured I'd go pseudo. I'm glad I did - I had a bad experience here where someone attacked me and threatened to hurt me. I now have no regrets using a pseudonym and strongly encourage everyone to do so.

My avatar will likely rotate through a series of childhood pics and in one case my childhood portrait (done by an artist in Toronto, Canada when I was 9). Don't be surprised if my cat shows up as an avatar

Let's sponsor a contest to see who can draw the best likeness of the half - fish - half chicken avatar.

Puffer

No way !!! I was just gonna say that...cept I can't draw. I was gonna ask my artist daughter to draw one, but she'd ask why, and my ex would object, and the courts, and the lawyers, and congress, and child services and ....oy!

My screenname comes from the idea that in my world, sex should come with strings attached... good strings... I love being attached to my wife in every way. And no strings attached sex is not at all good for me.

I am not ready to put my real name out there nor am I ready to post my face on the site. Scary thing... one of the avatars I have seen looks like my perp (older bro) shortly before I was molested.

I made my avatar after a session with my T when he was describing the victim => surviving => and thriving cycle. It shows survive as smaller than thrive because the goal is to thrive but first we need to survive.

they are both connected because in my therapy, they are inextricably linked, one building upon the other.

Normally I use all kinds of names on forums, but here I want to use my own name. Mostly for the reason for myself that I can't starting to hide behind a name and the fact that I am proud on myself that I came here.

My avatar represents the fact that I work as composer in the music industry and that music has been such a big and important part of my life in many ways.

Edited by JaapVisser (12/06/1106:09 AM)

_________________________
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

Normally I use all kinds of names on forums, but here I want to use my own name. Mostly for the reason for myself that I can't starting to hide behind a name and the fact that I am proud on myself that I came here.

My avatar represents the fact that I work as composer in the music industry and that music has been such a big and important part of my life in many ways.

He didn't ask me to put up this link, and in fact I didn't get permission either. But here are some links to Jaap Visser's music: (if this bothers him, I'll be glad to remove this post)

The other links are not me Jaap Fischer is an older aged singer (and everybody here asks if I am related and I am not haha).

I also don't twitter so that can't be me, but Jaap Visser is a horrible common name here.

My link to my website is: 3 Peak AudioIt's the website of the company I founded. It is not completely up to date. We really need to update it, but it has been busy, chaotic (with work and also my personal life the last year).More music from me can be heard at: Yooka Music (where I sell licensed music, but here it is easier to find out the type of music I write for work).

Are you a musician as well FormerTexan?

Edited by JaapVisser (12/06/1112:10 PM)

_________________________
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

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